10 Food Trends for 2019

With the new year starting, brands are rushing towards the trends of the year. Fashion, movies, cars, music – all of these areas generate enthusiasm among users in search of something new. On the food side, Whole Foods’ annual food trend report predicts that several social movements will emerge and that specific foods will become more popular. Whether or not you agree, food trends of 2019 are coming fast. Are you ready?

Vegetable meat

In recent years, people have been increasingly made aware of their meat consumption. Consequently, vegetarian and vegan diets are already well established in many homes around the world. People wanting to decrease their meat consumption must, therefore, find alternatives to animal protein. Vegetable meat is a substitute for meat. Plant proteins come from soy, grain and legumes, among other sources. They now have an important place on the market. For 2019, we can expect more restaurants to offer a larger variety of vegetarian dishes on their menus.

Vegetable meat recipes

One vegetable meat worth knowing in 2019 is seitan. Made with wheat protein, it’s often used to replicate red meat in burgers and steaks, for example. People are also starting to consider mushrooms as a vegetable meat. Some species of mushrooms, like the trumpet of death or king oyster mushroom that can be fried like squid, are beginning to take their place in the meat-free diet. For beginners, try replacing your hamburger patty with a vegetarian version or cook an Asian vegan stir-fry.

The zero waste movement

In the last year, controversy about the planet’s future has grabbed headlines. A few committed companies have now decided to modify their packaging with sustainable development at heart. They’ve taken the initiative to remove as much plastic as possible and to favour compostable materials. If removing plastic isn’t possible in the near future, some brands and retailers will focus on reusing packaging in 2019. You can also expect to see a bigger movement encouraging action to bring your own containers like bringing your own bags for fruits and veggies at the grocery store. Buying in bulk also promises to continue growing in 2019.

What’s zero waste all about?

The zero waste movement consists of significantly reducing your daily production of waste. The goal is to reduce your goods, reuse to the max, and recycle and compost as much as possible so as not produce any waste. In the last few years, a large movement against plastic straws has been initiated in several countries and many restaurant chains have quickly jumped on the bandwagon. For the next year, several actions will most definitely be implemented to reduce waste production. In the meantime, try and adopt a few sustainable behaviours and habits at home.

Flavours of the Pacific

In 2019, the flavours of Asia, Oceania and the American west coast will show up at your table more than once. Exotic fruit like pitaya, passion fruit and guava will be increasingly present in shops and colourful smoothie recipes. Shrimp will also inspire a lot of dishes in the upcoming year. Jackfruit will be the new vegetable meat alternative on the market. To integrate trendy flavours to your day-to-day, try Asian cuisine.

Snacking

In 2019, the snack industry will get a makeover. More snacking means snacks that are more decadent than usual next year. We’re talking high-quality ingredients like prosciutto and aged mozzarella. Luxury snacks are gaining in popularity and counter the thinking that you should eat only three times a day. Many new snacks will be adapted to various diets and food restrictions. Vegan, gluten-free and nut-free, there’ll be something for everyone.

Food alternatives

Given the many food intolerances and allergies, food alternatives are increasingly available in grocery stores. The explosion of new products offered in store will be quite common in 2019. Alternatives are always created to facilitate food for people living with restrictions. For example, people with celiac disease can find several gluten-free products like bread, pasta and pastries at the grocery store. A wide range of products is also available for people on special diets. Vegans can find ice cream, yoghurt, cheese and even meat without animal products.

Fermented food

Popular for the last few years, fermented food will reach its peak in 2019. Thanks in particular to the rise of kombucha, we’ll see more of this type of food in restaurants and grocery stores. Kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, tempeh and kefir are included in the offer. A major recurring theme for the next year is the quest for healthy eating. As a result, we’ll be looking to consume as few processed foods as possible. Fermented food is also an excellent source of probiotics which benefits the immune system.

The raw food diet

People on the raw food diet eat only raw food to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients. According to the rules of the art, food cannot be reheated to more than 113 °F (45 °C). Although risky, some people still eat raw meat. For others, the raw food diet has a vegan bias, so no animal products. In big cities, more restaurants and grocery stores are offering raw options. For the next year, we can certainly expect to see more people striving for a really healthy diet with any number of different kinds of diets.

Online grocery shopping

In Quebec, online grocery shopping has been around for about 3 years. However, the phenomenon will grow significantly in 2019. As well as being an excellent time-saver, orders can be delivered right to your door or picked up at a counter in store. Several grocery stores in Quebec provide this service including Metro, IGA and Rachelle-Béry. Among others, in the next year, Provigo grocery stores in Quebec will gradually roll out delivery from the store to your home in less than 60 minutes. Somewhat similar to Uber the car service, we can expect to see more of a practical and digital grocery store.

Transparency on nutritional labels

Since 2015, the Canadian government requires merchants to provide a much more detailed list of ingredients on product packaging sold in grocery. This is in response to the growing demand from consumers who increasingly want to know what they’re putting on the table. So there’s lots of pressure to have clearer labels and information on packaging. In France, the mobile app Yuka was developed to assess the quality of purchases in relation to their nutritional intake. You just scan the product to find out the impact it has on your health and get healthier recommendations. There has been some controversy regarding GMOs in recent years, so let’s hope that 2019 will be the year of change and transparency not only in Canada, but throughout the world.

Probiotics

In the same vein as fermented food, probiotics will be a hit in 2019. Normally, probiotics are stored in the refrigerated aisles to preserve their proprieties. These bacteria are found mainly in the refrigerated dairy product aisles, not really anywhere else. In the next few months, you’ll definitely see some brands offering shelf stable probiotics in the middle of the grocery store. These brands will make consuming probiotics during the day even more accessible by adding them to common ingredients in the pantry such as granola, oatmeal, nut butters, soups and granola bars. It’s an innovative way to strengthen the health of the immune system while providing alternatives for people with lactose intolerance.

2019 will, therefore, be the ideal year to try new trends. Among these 10 new food trends, which one surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments section if you’re thinking about adding one to your diet!

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A student in applied communication at the Université de Sherbrooke, Rosalie is passionate about everything related to current culture and trends. Whether it's fashion, veganism or movies, she loves to keep up to date with what's happening around the world. Share with her her love and curiosity for food through her articles written with care.